Vehicle.



PATENTED SEPT. 24, 1907.

E. L. BRILLHART.

VEHICLE. APPLICATION FILI-ID SEPT. 9.1905.

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N6. 666,769. PATENTBD SEPT. 24, 1907.

'6. L. BRILLHART.

VEHICLE.

APRLIOATION FILED SEPT. 9.1906.

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PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER L. BRILLHART, OF LUDIGTON, MICHIGAN.

VEHICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 24, 1907.

Application filed September 9, 1905. Serial No. 277,656.

To all whom it muy concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER L. BRILLHART, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of Ludington, county of Mason, and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicles;and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters ofreference marked thereon, which formapart of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in vehicles and more particularlyto a wagon of that class in which both axles cramp in turning. Indevices oi this class the connections between the front and rear axlesshould be as direct and simple as possible since a complicatedconnection causes more or less play at the joints even when new as wellas when the parts wear, thereby causing a consequent increase in timerequired for the rear axle to respond to the turning action. Furthermorethe less lost motion contained in the connections between the axles thebetter the front and rear wheels will track when moving straight aheadthereby causing an easy draft of the vehicle. It has been objectionablein many vehicles as heretofore constructed that when the axle is crampedin turning the box or load has a much narrower bearing thereon thusincreasing the tendency to overturn.

The object of this invention is to provide a vehicle having both axlespivoted to enable it to turn a relatively sharp corner and in which theplay in the connecting reaches or rods for the axles is reduced to aminimum. Y

A further object of the invention is to provide a vehicle in which theload is at all times perfectly distributed on the running gear inturning thus obviating the tendency to overturn.

The invention lconsists in the matters hereinafter described and morefully pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure l is a fragmentary bottom plan view of a deviceembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary, transversesection of the vehicle frame. Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectionof one of the bearing rollers and the bolster. Fig. 4 is an enlargedfragmentaryA view, partly in section and partly in elevation,illustrating the connection of the reach with the axle. Fig. 5 is anenlarged fragmentary section taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is asection taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 2 with parts removed.

As shown in said drawings: A and Af represent the front and rear axlesrespectively and are connected by a reach B which, as shown, is providedat each end with a yoke b rigidly engaged thereto and pivotally enga-gedto the axles by means of bolts b/ b/ which pass through the arms thereofand through` said axles. A pivot bearing b2 is rigidly bolted to thefront side o the axle A and aifords pivotal connections with the drafttongue b3, which is braced laterally to said axle by means of the bracerods or hounds b4, which at their rear ends are secured to the axle bymeans of eye bolts b5. Corresponding eye bolts bG and [J7 respectivelyare engaged in and project from the rear side ofthe front axle and thefront side of the rear axle, respectively, at corresponding distancesfrom the center and connected in said eye-bolts are rods b5 each ofwhich extends from one eye bolt on the front axle to the eye bolt on therear axle on the opposite side of the reach therefrom and together actto move the corresponding ends of the axles oppositely when the frontwheels are cramped as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l. Said rods asshown are provided with hooked ends b which.

closely engage the eye bolts b and b7 and while affording a hinge orswinging movement therein have approximately no longitudinal movementwith respect thereto.

Rigidly secured upon each end of each axle adjacent the sides of the boxC are the springs D which may be of any preferred construction, butasishown,

Yeach comprises a stack of upwardly curved, double ended leaf springssecured at their middle upon the axle by means of a clip comprisingupper and lower plates of metal D and D2 which engage'below the axle andabove the central portion of the leaves of said springs. Bolts d extendthrough said plates on each side of the axle and rigidly bind the sainevupon the axle. Said bolts bear closely against the sides of the springsand the axle and hold the same from relative movement. The upper or freeends cZ/-d2 of said springs overlap each other and are each providedwith laterally disposed flanges d3 between which the next higheroverlapping leaf slidingly engages as shown more clearly in Fig. 6.

The outermost or upper leaf or end cl2 of each spring has securedthereon one end of one of the bolsters E which consists of a bar of woodor metal of requisite length rigidly secured on said upper spring endsby means of a clip, similar to that which secures the spring to the axleand comprises as shown a plate or strap of metal E2, the ends of which eand e are bent to engage above and below the bolster E and a plate e2which engages beneath the spring. All of said plates are rigidly securedtogether by transverse bolts e3 which extend through the same in closeproximity to the sides of the spring and the bolster and act to hold thesame in unvarying relation. The strap of metal E2 affords a bearing forthe journal or axle e4 secured in each end of each bolster. Said journalas shown is provided at its inner end with a Wood screw having threadedengagement in said strap and the end of the bolster and is provided onits outer end with a roller e5 of a diameter to extend slightly abovethe bolster.

Rigidly engaged beneath the bottom of the box C are the reinforcingstrips c and c of which the strips c are at the sides of the box andhave rigidly engaged thereon segment plates F on which said rollerstrack when the axles are cramped as shown in Fig. 1. A king bolt Gextends through each bolster centrally thereof and through thereinforcing strips c and the bottom of the box C and is provided with anut and a washer g beneath the bolster and washers g between thebolster' and strip c the latter of which act to support the boxcentrally. Said segments act as a fifth wheel at each end of the box andany tendency of the box to side swing is controlled by the coiledsprings H-H the inner ends of which are engaged in eye bolts h-L securedin the axles adjacent the reach and the outer ends of which are engagedon hooks h as shown formed integrally with the plates e2.

The operation is as follows: The pivotal engagement of the reach withthe axles permits each axle to turn and when the front axle turns in onedirection the cross rods bE act to turn the rear axle oppositely therebythrowing the hind end of the vehicle oppositely from the forward end andenabling the wagon to turn in a much smaller arc than when the frontaxle only is pivoted. Owing to the fact that the cross rods areconnected directly to the axles by means of the eye bolts which arerigid in the axles there is little lost motion of the forward axle andwhen the vehicle is going straight ahead the tracking of the rear wheelswith the forward wheels is insured. Should the joint between the rods bSand the connecting eye bolts become worn it is only necessary to reducethe size of the hooks by bending them inwardly thus making a tighterjoint. Inasmuch as the bolsters are raised above the axles by thesprings D it is evident that the vehicle wheels a can turn beneath thebox C and it is also evident that owing to the pivotal connection of thebox with each bolster the axles are permitted to turn freely beneath thebox while the rollers on the end of the bolsters act to support the boxat all times and prevent its tipping.

Obviously any preferred form of spring other than that shown may be usedand various details of construction may be varied without departing fromthe principles of my invention and I therefore do not desire beinglimited in this application other than necessitated by the prior art andas stated in the claims.

l claim as my invention:

l. ln a vehicle the combination with the front and real: axles, a reachpivotally connected at each end centrally to the respective axles, rodspivotally connecting each end of one axle and the opposite ends of theother axle and securing said ends in unvarying relation, a springengaged to each end of each axle, a bolster, a plate rigidly connectingthe bolster to said spring, springs connected at their inner endscentrally to each axle and at their outer ends to the respective platesadapted to prevent lateral movement of the holsters.

2. In a vehicle the combination with the front and rear axles, a reachpivoted at each end to the respective axles, rods pivotally engaged toeach axle, said rods connecting opposite ends of the axles and rigidlyholding said ends a fixed distance apart, a spring rigidly bolted to theends of each axle, a bolster', a plate connecting said bolster at itsends to said springs, a body pivoted to each bolster centrally thereof,tracks engaged to the bottom of said body at each corner thereof andwheels engaged to the ends of each bolster adapted to move over saidtracks.

3. In a vehicle the combination with the front and rear axles, a reachpivoted at each end to the axles, rods pivot ally connecting oppositeends of said axles, a spring` rigidly engaged to each end of the axles,a bolster, plates. rigidly engaging the upper leaf of said springs andthe ends of the bolster, springs engaged centrally to the axles and eachengaged to one of said plates, a body pivoted at each end to the bolstercentrallythereof, wheels engaged to the ends of the bolster-s and atrack at each corner of the body.

4. In a device of the class described the combination with the front andrear axles of a reach pivotally connected with each, rods engagingopposite ends of said axles, springs rigidly engaged on said axles, abolster engaged on the springs of each axle, coiled springs engaged attheir inner ends centrally of each axle and at their outer ends on hooksbeneath said bolsters, a roller on each end of each bolster', a boxpivoted on said bolsters centrally thereof, and segment plates engagedto each corner of said body affording bearings for said rollers.

5. In a vehicle the combination with the axles thereof, of meansconnecting the same acting to cramp them 'oppositely in turning, leafsprings on said axles, holsters carricd on the outer leaf of saidsprings, coiled springs en gaged to said axles centrally thereof and thetops of said leaf springs, a shaft in each end of each bolster, a rolleron each, a box pivoted to the center of said holsters and a track ateach corner of the Wagon affording bearings for said rollers.

6. In a device of the class described the combination with the front andrear axles of independent rods acting to cramp said axles oppositely inturning, a spring adjacent each end of each axle, bolster-s rigidlyengaged thereon, tension members engaged to each end of said bolstersand to said axles, a roller journaled on each end of each bolster, a boxpivotally connected at each end with said holsters centrally thereof andsegment plates engaged to each corner of the body affording bearings forsaid rollers.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

ELMER L. BRILLHART.

Witnesses W. W. WITHENBURY, WM. C. SMITH.

